Review: Blue Note Cherry Wood Cask Bourbon
Blue Note Bourbon was initially launched in mid-July 2018 by B.R. Distilling Company in Memphis, Tennessee. As an Owensboro resident, Blue Note has held a special place in my appreciation of my city’s whiskey story. During the early days of whiskey distilling’s revival in Owensboro, O.Z. Tyler was giving consumers very young bourbon that had…
Review: Elysian Punkuccino
Take a seasonal pumpkin ale and mix it with a classic milk stout and what do you get? This surprisingly delightful blend of beer styles that is built around a complex mix of Stumptown cold brew coffee, cinnamon, nutmeg, lactose, various malts, German Northern Brewer hops, and three different additions of pumpkin to the…
Review: 2025 Mezzacorona Dinotte Red Blend
Mezzacorona’s Ventessa lineup already made its case for Trentino as a place worth considering when looking for a proper budget wine buy, so Dinotte was presumably christened for mood rather than any darkness in the glass or otherwise. The premise remains rooted in Alpine traditions: Teroldego and Marzemino are harvested off hillside vineyards in the…
Review: Whiskey Jypsi Gibson Tonewood: The Collective
Here’s a new collaboration for you: Whiskey Jypsi partnered with Gibson — the guitar makers — to “reverse the familiar relationship between guitars and whiskey. Guitar makers have used whiskey barrel wood for years. With Tonewood, Whiskey Jypsi and Gibson flipped the idea: toasted maple tonewood offcuts from Gibson’s broader guitar-building process, wood already prized…
Review: NV Nicolas Feuillatte Brut and Rose Champagne (Updated 2026)
We’ve written about the Champagnes of Nicolas Feuillatte several times, but here’s a fresh look at two of the operation’s most available bottlings from the “Reserve Exclusive” series — a nonvintage brut and a rose, both seen here in their 2020 incarnations. Both are available in standard bottles and in 187ml “splits” that can be…
Review: Non-Alcoholic Wines from French Bloom
Non-alcoholic wine can still feel like an immense leap of faith. It’s a perpetual trust-fall exercise, hoping whoever is on the other side bottling the stuff actually cares that it tastes like something in the same postal code as the alcohol-filled alternative. Enter French Bloom, a venture co-founded by ex-Michelin guide director Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger and…
Review: Angel’s Envy Cellar Collection Rye Finished in Peach Brandy and Toasted Oak Barrels
Angel’s Envy has built its reputation on the idea that a whiskey’s journey need not end with its initial maturation. Since the introduction of its port finished bourbon, the Louisville-based whiskey maker has explored the effects of secondary maturation, from the Caribbean rum casks used for its rye whiskey, first released in 2013, to the…
Review: 2021 Brassfield Estate Cabernet Sauvignon High Valley AVA
In 1973, Jerry Brassfield bought a sprawling cattle ranch in Clearlake Oaks, designed to be a retreat from hectic city life. Then the neighbors began planting grapes. And so by 1996, he was digging hundreds of soil pits, studying the climate patterns and learning what his land could do. The winery was established four years…
Review: Elijah Craig Small Batch PGA Championship Edition (Updated 2026)
Elijah Craig sure loves golf — or rather, getting people to drink while they’re playing or watching golf. Anything to liven things up, amirite? In 2024 the brand launched its second golf-inspired limited release as a follow-up to its recent Ryder Cup edition. By 2026, Elijah Craig PGA Edition had expanded to a second edition.…
Review: Wines of Ancient Peaks, 2026 Releases
We cover the wines of Paso Robles’ Ancient Peaks with regularity, so these 2026 offerings should not come as a surprise. The value present in these bottlings, however, is more of a shock… Updated late 2026 with the latest releases. 2024 Ancient Peaks Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles – Quite tropical at first, this wine moves…
